Fuel pump or carb?
#2019014
02/24/16 08:13 PM
02/24/16 08:13 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 57 GA
Gerald l
OP
member
|
OP
member
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 57
GA
|
Can't get the car to start anymore. A few weeks ago my car suddenly wouldn't start up after a car show. Usually I would have to try starting it about 3 times before it cranked but on that morning it started right up on the first try. Went and got gas and it back fired after starting back up ( never done that before). Made it to the car show, stayed a few hours, cranked the car back up and it acted like it wasn't getting fuel and died. Hasn't started since but engine will turn over. Before all that I've always had to feather the gas pedal to get it to go after stopping at lights and stop signs. Even revved it up to 3000 rpm released the clutch and had it sputtered and died. So could this be the push rod or fuel pump? The engine is a 383 and looks like it has never been freshened up, I got it about a year ago.
Last edited by Gerald l; 02/24/16 08:14 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Fuel pump or carb?
[Re: Gerald l]
#2019266
02/25/16 03:04 AM
02/25/16 03:04 AM
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska
RapidRobert
Circle Track
|
Circle Track
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 36,041
Lincoln Nebraska
|
its cranking over fine?. it shoots a good stream out the AP when you pull the throttle? pull the coil wire (dist end) & hold it 1/4" from the intake (ground) and have a helper crank it with the key & see if you get healthy sparks (some blueish tint is better). Are the plugs in good shape?
live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
|
|
|
Re: Fuel pump or carb?
[Re: Gerald l]
#2020240
02/26/16 03:04 PM
02/26/16 03:04 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714 Spokane Washington
ScottSmith_Harms
Mr Wizzard
|
Mr Wizzard
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
|
"Niether", as mentioned above, bad gas is more likely.
Check this out, a very high level freshly restored car that sat in climate controlled storage for a year or so without being driven. EVERY part of this car was new, car had never been driven further than down the driveway after being completed. This is what todays gas can become in a surprisingly short period of time, while they looked great on the outside, all of these components required replacement, tank, pickup, fuel lines, etc. plus a new fuel pump and a carburetor restoration to cure the issue.
|
|
|
Re: Fuel pump or carb?
[Re: Gerald l]
#2020425
02/26/16 08:37 PM
02/26/16 08:37 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,631 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,631
Freeport IL USA
|
It sounds to me like it could be anything. You really need to start at step 1
Pull number 1 plug, bring it up on compression, line up the timing marks and pull off the dist cap and see if the rotor is pointing to the number 1 plug wire.
If its not, your timing chain had jumped a tooth and you need a new timing chain & gears.
If the rotor is pointing to the number 1 plug wire, see if you have a spark at the plug wire. Place the plug on the intake manifold and connect the plug wire, have a helper crank the motor to see if there is spark at the plug. No spark means you need to do a complete tune up with new plugs, points (if it still has them) a dist cap, rotor, and plug wires.
I would pull all of the plugs and do a compression test, just to get an idea of the condition of the motor.
You already said you have gas at the carb, so the fuel pump, lines, and sending unit in the tank must still be good, but that doesn't mean the gas is any good, or that the bad gas may not have damaged the fuel system stuff. I would drain a little gas out of the tank or carb, dump a little bit on the ground and see if it will burn. I've drained gas out of a tank that wouldn't burn when you held a lit torch to it!
All this sounds like a lot of work, because it is. You know nothing about your car. If you expect to have something you can get in and drive when you want to, it needs to be brought up to great running condition. Gene
|
|
|
Re: Fuel pump or carb?
[Re: Gerald l]
#2020484
02/26/16 10:47 PM
02/26/16 10:47 PM
|
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,521 Tacoma, Washington USA
Adam71Charger
pro stock
|
pro stock
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,521
Tacoma, Washington USA
|
I had a very similar problem. The car would lose power, then stutter, back fire too of I remember correctly. I thought it was my ignition and did a lot of testing and parts swaps (mostly points) to try and figure it out. I ended up pulling the carb. When I took the carb apart, both fuel bowls were full of ultra-fine particles of rust, like a sand box. fine particles of rust had been making it past my autozone fuel filter for months. Not sure if the tank was rusting due to pump gas or that the car had sat covered in a field for many months before I bought it. Anyways, with a clean carb and new filter it fired right up.
Check your fuel filter. If there is reddish residue, you could have rust in carb
|
|
|
|
|